Some conventional methods for controlling enablement of resources rely on a locally-stored electronic file which indicates whether or not a resource (such as a software application which a user wishes to execute on an apparatus) is enabled or disabled.
Such methods can be inflexible, in that it is often not possible to move the electronic file to a second apparatus to enable a resource from the second apparatus instead of the first apparatus. In some such circumstances, the electronic file is duplicated and used to enable resources on both the first apparatus and the second apparatus simultaneously. This simultaneous enablement may be an illegitimate use of the electronic file. The electronic file may have been intended to allow enablement of only one resource on only one apparatus.
Other conventional methods for controlling enablement of resources rely on an electronic file stored remotely from an apparatus on a physical device, e.g. a storage means such as a USB drive. In this case, the resource is only enabled while the physical storage means is connected to the apparatus. Once the connection between the physical device and the apparatus has been severed, the resource is disabled. This is inconvenient in circumstances where the physical device needs to be temporarily disconnected from the apparatus, as the resource will be disabled during the period of disconnection.
The present invention aims to overcome or at least ameliorate at least some of the problems set out above.